Heather was appointed Open Heart Kitchen’s Executive Director in January, 2017. Prior to this role, she served as the Executive Director of Monterey Zoological Society, and co-founded Elephants of Africa Rescue Society where she also served as CFO. She brings over 15 years of experience in Nonprofit Management and utilizes her development experience to drive organizational growth without compromising program quality.
Clare joined Open Heart Kitchen in September 2014. As Operations Director, she oversees the entire day-to-day operations of the organization. Prior to joining Open Heart Kitchen, Gomes spent nearly 10 years managing the food pantry for a local non-profit. She holds a BS in Chemistry, as well as a BS in Holistic Nutrition.
Denise oversees fundraising and donor relations for Open Heart Kitchen. Denise has experience in fundraising, marketing and event planning for various nonprofits including The Health Trust, Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Most recently, she was the development officer at the Bankhead Theater where she was responsible for sponsorships, grants, and major gifts. She currently volunteers for Mighty4 Arts Foundation and serves on the board of Tri-Valley Haven.
Taylor joined the team in October, 2017. She assists with outreach, accounting, fundraising, marketing, and works heavily with our Senior Meal Program. She enjoys painting, traveling, and spending time outdoors with her boyfriend Logan and their dog, Loki.
Shawnda joined Open Heart Kitchen in November of 2010 as a Site Supervisor before assuming her current role as Volunteer Coordinator. Whether you are a guest or a volunteer, Bost has a passion for helping people find their “fit” in the Open Heart Kitchen family. Under her leadership, Open Heart Kitchen’s volunteer base has grown to one of the largest volunteer networks in the Tri-Valley. Prior to joining Open Heart Kitchen, Bost served more than 15 years in customer service and logistics.
Becki grew up in England and lived in Australia for a number of years. Lucky for us, she moved to California in 2016 and started volunteering in our kitchen and eventually joined our team as a Site Supervisor, and she is now a Program Coordinator for our Volunteer Services Department. In her spare time Becki loves to travel, as well as volunteer at the Valley Humane Society where she follows her deep passion for helping animals.
Christi has been with Open Heart Kitchen since 2015. Christi worked in customer support before becoming a stay at home mom to her 3 children. Through her position at Open Heart Kitchen she encourages her own children to volunteer in the kitchens and learn the importance of giving back to the community. When she's not giving back to the community she can be found gardening or in her kitchen baking up a delicious new confection!
Gunilla was born and raised in Sweden, and moved to the Bay Area in 1994. Gunilla brings over 15 years of experience as a pastry chef and baker. She started as a volunteer at Open Heart Kitchen, and officially joined our team as chef in January, 2015. When Nilla's not in the OHK kitchen, she's probably spending time with family or out on a hike (ask her for her favorite hiking trail recommendations!)
Lisa joined Open Heart Kitchen in November of 2014, as a Production Chef and Site Supervisor after volunteering in our kitchen. She graduated with High Honors from The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of San Francisco with an Associates Degree in Baking and Pastry. As much as she loves cooking, she says that she loves the interaction with her volunteers even more.
Liz built a career in Silicon Valley, but always held a passion for cooking, baking, and helping people. She enrolled in the culinary program at Diablo Valley College, which led her to begin volunteering regularly at Open Heart Kitchen in 2017. By the time she joined our team in 2018, she already knew our kitchen like the back of her hand!
Todd is the driving force behind our Bag Lunch Program, managing volunteers in the creation and distribution of more than 2,500 bags weekly. In addition to that, he delivers meals to our Senior & Hot Meal sites, and picks up large donations. Before joining the OHK team, Todd was a stay at home dad and worked with middle school-aged kids at Crosswinds Church in Livermore. He has been married for 25 years to his wife Synthia, with whom he has a daughter, 2 dogs and a rescue cat.
Eileen has been with Open Heart Kitchen since 2015. She oversees the Senior Meal service at our Dublin Senior Center site, and the Hot Meal service at our Lynnewood Church site. When she's not busy plating up love she can almost certainly be found with her beloved and loyal dog, Choco.
Gary has been with Open Heart Kitchen since 2003, and prior to that he was a member of our Board of Directors. Gary oversees meal service at our Asbury Church Hot Meal Site, collects large donations, and delivers meals to homeless clients who are unable to get to one of OHK's meal sites.
Sharon has been with Open Heart Kitchen since 2014 and oversees the Senior Meal service at our Livermore Community Center site, as well as the Hot Meal service at our Asbury and Trinity sites.
Evelyn moved to California from Chicago in 2005, and joined the Open Heart Kitchen family that same year. The things that Evelyn enjoys most about working for Open Heart Kitchen is the sense of fullfillment and purpose that it gives her, as well as working with Open Heart's volunteers and staff.
Linda joined Open Heart Kitchen as a Site Supervisor in July, 2017. Volunteering at the Pleasanton Senior Center and working with her fellow volunteers sparked her interest in joining our team. Prior to coming to OHK, Linda worked in tech in Silicon Valley, but realized her real passion was working with food and interacting with people. Linda makes every diner that walks into our dining room feel special, and she has a gift for telling our diners' whole stories in a way that is both empowering and uplifting.
Loree runs the Hot Meal service at Lynnewood Church on Sundays, and is an integral part of our Bagged Lunch production.
Peter started with Open Heart Kitchen in high school as a volunteer at our Ridgeview Commons Senior site. He joined Open Heart Kitchen’s staff in October, 2017 as the site supervisor for our St. Bartholomew’s site. Peter enjoys working with new volunteers and getting to know them.
Sean oversees the Hot Meal service at our Valor Crossing site, picks up large donations, and delivers meals to various sites throughout the week. He joined our team in 2017.
Steve is a proud Dublin resident who spent nearly 30 years of commuting into Silicon Valley where he worked for the San Jose Mercury News as a reporter, deputy managing editor and editorial page editor. Instead of retirement, Steve yearned for “refirement": something less career-driven and more service oriented.This passion lead him to Open Heart Kitchen.